An Open Letter to the Jehovah’s Witnesses by Greg Holt, August 15, 2016

Dear Jehovah’s Witnesses,

First I want to thank you – all of you for the important work that you do, sharing the Gospel with people who need to hear it; all people of all walks of life need to hear the Gospel actually. It’s a great thing to share God with others and a responsibility we all share. It takes time and dedication to do this, and a strong conviction to share knowing many will slam the door in our faces.

I recently received a letter from a Jehovah’s Witness that basically mentioned how many people are concerned with the direction the world is heading in. The cure for this direction of course is God, as God is the cure for all that ails humanity – the cause is Satan and of course our own sin.

This letter got me to thinking, thinking that I would write a letter in return to this individual. Why would I do this? Because I care, and I am familiar with the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and these beliefs very much concern me.

That being said, members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have unfortunately been deceived. The Jehovah’s Witnesses, (as the teaching is passed down from those with authority to set policy) teach things that are not biblical truth. Yes you believe in God the Father, but you do not believe in Jesus as being God as well. This belief is not only unbiblical, but also exceedingly dangerous. Jesus is necessary to our salvation, without Him; there IS no salvation, only believing Jesus is the Son is not enough. Jesus was never created by God, He IS God – same as the Father. Matthew 7:21-23

When reading the Bible, it is vitally important to read it as one book, one book with many different authors. God’s Word does not contradict itself as some insist. The Bible absolutely MUST be read in context; one cannot cherry-pick verses out of a chapter and point to that verse or verses as proof of their particular point. The previous chapter verses, or the following often shed light on the true meaning of what is being read. As well, knowledge of Jewish culture sheds more light on what the authors were speaking of as most biblical authors were Jewish.

Let me share a few bible verses if I may that clearly show the deity of Christ, and the necessity of believing in Christ as God, all verses from the KJV.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me
Why would God use a human or created being to be the WAY to Himself? God shares His glory with no one who is not God

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Note the use of Word in this verse, this is very important. The Word is Jesus of course, now – note the use of Word in the next verse.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God
You will note how this verse is structured, in the beginning – meaning that the Word (Jesus) was always with God (eternal) and the Word was not only with God, but was and is God. Also, note how John uses the phrase in the beginning – a clear reference to Genesis 1:1.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…
The text says us not I, implying that there was more than the Father present at Creation, the Holy Spirit is mentioned, and we know through numerous verses that Christ was there during Creation.

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made
This is the follow-up to the first two verses in John speaking of Jesus as having been with the Father in the very beginning. Now John tells us that ALL things were created by Jesus Christ – Since Christ created and sustains the world, there is ZERO possibility that He is not God.

John 8:19…Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
Jesus is here claiming equality with God the Father, if we know Jesus, we know the Father.

Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
When God spoke to Moses, He gave Himself a title: I AM – that God would forever more be known by this name among many others.

John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
It must be noted here how Jesus claims the Old Testament name of God – I AM. The Jews clearly understood this to be a declaration by Jesus claiming to be God as they attempted to stone Him for it.

John 8:24 ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins
Note the use of I AM once again, salvation is of God – not of a man and certainly not of a created being, belief in Jesus as God is necessary to salvation.

Colossians 1:15 states that Christ is the image of God, but this in no way means that Christ is not God as Jehovah’s Witnesses teach. This verse is taken out of context. Note the wording of the following verse in Colossians:

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
In Christ dwells the Divine nature, same as His Father.

Philippians 2:5-6 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
Jesus being in the form of God, in other words partaking of the Divine nature – thought it acceptable to be as an equal to God, because Christ was and is both God and man.

Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In the preceding verse we are told all within heaven and earth at the name of Jesus (the divine nature and power of Christ) will bow – here we see that all will confess Jesus as Lord – thus glorifying Jesus also glorifies God the Father. Remember – God shares his glory with no man.

John 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him
This verses well supports what is said in Philippians 2:10-11, namely that Jesus is God. We are to honor the Son the same as we honor the Father – again meaning that Jesus is God.

John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son
Here we see that the Father has given over the judgment of all things to Christ. Jesus could not possibly be the judge that all will face; be it the White Throne judgment, or the bestowing of rewards to the faithful, if He is in fact not Divine, God. For judgment belongs to none other than God.

Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power…
Here Jesus is again spoken of as being the image of God, and yet Jesus is also here seen to be upholding all Creation and all that is contained therein – by the word of His power, Jesus power as a Divine being, Himself being God.

Colossians 1:17, 19 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell
Again we see that ALL things were created by Christ and are maintained by His power as well. In verse 19 we are told essentially once again, that Jesus is – God, as must needs be for Him to have created Creation and to be the sustaining power of said Creation.

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Our access to the Father is through Jesus Christ be we Jewish or Gentile believers.

Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom
It is here understood that O God refers to Christ, meaning Messiah – that the throne of Christ, (God) will last forever without end.

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ
Although the word and is contained between God and Savior, from the context of the passage, God here refers to Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first
Here we see the dead being raised by Christ in the end; Jesus could only do this as God. The Apostles raised the dead as well, but only one at a time – not many thousands in the blink of an eye. John 6:40, 44 also mentions Christ raising up the dead at the last day.

Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity

Notice that not all who do things in God’s name will be in heaven. Notice also the title of Lord along with the fact that Jesus says; Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord – once again confirming that Jesus will be the judge of humanity. For Jesus to judge, He must be divine. Most importantly – Jesus makes it clear here, if He does not know us as a person, then we will of a certainty not be in heaven with Him. For if we know Christ, we will know He is not only Savior, He is Lord and God, Creator and Sustainer, Judge and Pardoner – the beginning and the end, Alpha and the Omega, The Messiah. We will know Him and His Word, and we will seek to serve Him.

There are so many more examples from Scripture that could be used to show that Jesus is in fact God. In order to hold to the belief that Jesus is not God, one must disregard a sizable portion of the Bible, or take a large portion of the Bible completely out of context.

To disbelieve Jesus is God is to malign the Word of God and brand God a liar. The Father Himself refers to Jesus as God as shown above, so must we believe in Christ as God. In John 17:5 Jesus asks the Father to glorify Him with the glory He (Jesus) possessed with the Father before the world was. In John 20:28 Thomas called Jesus Lord and God – this cannot be explained away as being a general term in biblical times as others have attempted to do. Doing so violates the context of the passage, Thomas was referring to Jesus as being Divine, as being God – same as His Father.

Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith, or more to the point if you are a Jehovah's Witness - to see if you are in the truth.

Believe in Jesus Christ as God and be blessed.

Republished with permission The Olive Branch Report

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